Nigeria international and Manchester City forward Kelechi Iheanacho has dismissed concerns about an injury he sustained in the Citizen’s win over Steaua Bucharest. Iheanacho had a scare in the 75th minute when he nearly lost consciousness after damaging his hamstring during the second leg Champions League playoff game against Steaua Bucharest at the Etihad Stadium. It took the intervention of Steaua player, Bogdan Mitrea who stopped Iheanacho from swallowing his tongue when he collapsed. Amidst fears over the injury, the 19-year old took to Instagram to assure everyone that he is okay. “Great result for the team today. Very pleased…
Author: David Folami
Pep Guardiola will return to former club Barcelona after Manchester City were paired with the Spanish champions in the Champions League group stages. Guardiola won Europe’s premier club competition twice during a trophy-laden tenure at Camp Nou, thanks to final victories over Manchester United in 2009 and 2011. He will lead City in Group C after the Premier League side overcame Steaua Bucharest 6-0 on aggregate in their play-off tie. City were knocked out in the semi-finals last year – their best performance in five attempts – by eventual winners Real Madrid. Zinedine Zidane’s men will begin their bid for…
When Mike Phelan was given the chance to lead Hull City back into the Premier League, he will have hoped a caretaker reign would extend to two attractive fixtures at the front end of his diary. After the looming international break there is a trip to Phelan’s boyhood team Burnley, where he spent his formative years as a professional footballer, but first, on Saturday evening, comes a date with the club that went on to define him. Manchester United was where Phelan spent 19 years as a player and coach. Between 1989 and 1994 he was part of a side…
Arsenal are in talks to sign Deportivo La Coruna striker Lucas Perez, sources close to the club have said. Everton had been leading the chase for Perez, but Arsenal have made a late move to try and steal a march on their rivals for the 27-year-old. Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has been in the market for attacking reinforcements all summer, seeing moves for Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy and Lyon striker Alexandre Lacazette fall through. Perez impressed at Deportivo last season, scoring 17 goals in La Liga and the Spanish club are resigned to seeing their prize asset moving on before…
Barcelona star Lionel Messi has won UEFA.com’s Goal of the Season prize for 2015-16 for his strike against Roma. Messi rounded of an outstanding team move as he dinked the ball over goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny in a 6-1 win over Roma in the Champions League last November. The Argentina international’s goal received 73,331 votes, giving him a 34 percent share, with Ricardinho’s effort while playing for Portugal in the UEFA Futsal Championship coming second with 13 percent. Coming third was Xherdan Shaqiri’s emphatic overhead kick for Switzerland against Poland at Euro 2016. Messi’s effort was among a 10-goal shortlist which…
Juventus’ general manager Beppe Marotta says the Serie A club are “obliged” to reach the knockout stages of the Champions League after the 2015 finalists were drawn in a group with Sevilla, Olympique Lyon and Dinamo Zagreb. The Bianconeri got the better of the Spaniards a year ago, finishing second in their group behind Manchester City and condemning Sevilla to a place in the Europa League, which they went on to win for a third straight season. Without the presence of City this time around, Juve and Sevilla will be favourites to progress and Marotta said that he expects nothing…
Real Madrid and Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo was named UEFA Best Player in Europe following the Champions League draw ceremony on Thursday. European football’s governing body whittled a shortlist of 10 down to Real Madrid duo Gareth Bale and Ronaldo and Atletico Madrid star Antoine Griezmann. Ronaldo, who won after the 2013-14 season, joined Barcelona star Lionel Messi as the second player to win the award twice. Ronaldo captained Portugal to glory at Euro 2016, when he was taken off injured during the final, and scored the winning shootout penalty for Real Madrid as they won the Champions League for…
Everton manager Ronald Koeman has dismissed reports suggesting that Manchester City’s Joe Hart was nearing a move to Goodison Park, saying his club had never registered an interest in the England goalkeeper. Hart made his first start of the season for City in Wednesday’s dead rubber Champions League win over Steaua Bucharest with City manager Pep Guardiola preferring Willy Caballero. The arrival of Chilean keeper Claudio Bravo from Barcelona on Thursday will push Hart further down the pecking order and is will probably signal the end of the 29-year-old’s 10-year stay at City. “No. Everybody is trying to improve. But…
Barcelona have signed goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen from Ajax Amsterdam on a five-year contract in a deal worth €13 million (approximately R206 million), the La Liga champions said on Thursday. The 27-year-old, who made 31 league appearances last season to help Ajax finish second in the Dutch Eredivisie standings, will fight with keeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen for a starting place at Barcelona. “FC Barcelona has decided to purchase 27-year-old Dutch goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen from Ajax Amsterdam on a five-year contract,” the Spanish club said in a statement on their website. “The transfer fee is a guaranteed €13 million plus a further…
Chelsea winger Victor Moses believes he has the talent and ability to succeed at the club. The 25-year-old former Crystal Palace man netted on Tuesday (his first goal for the club in three years) as Chelsea beat Bristol Rovers 3-2 in the League Cup. He explained afterwards that he never doubted his ability to succeed in the big time. “It was a great game from the lads, I thought we all worked hard. “We knew it wasn’t going to be an easy game, we had to show a good attitude to go into the next round and we’re pleased with…
Manchester City have completed their swoop for Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo to push Joe Hart closer to an unwanted exit from the Premier League club. City manager Pep Guardiola’s move for Bravo is likely to mean England goalkeeper Hart will be sold before next week’s transfer deadline after he lost his place to back-up Willy Caballero at the start of the season. Guardiola, who arrived from Bayern Munich in the close season, wanted to sign Bravo because he felt Hart’s passing wasn’t good enough to fulfill his desire for a ‘sweeper-keeper’ who can effectively retain possession. Chile international Bravo has…
The United States secretary of state, John Kerry, has reaffirmed the US support for the President Muhammadu Buhari administration, acknowledging that it inherited depleted State. “You inherited a big problem, and we will support you in any way we can. We will work with you very closely. We don’t want to interfere, but will offer opportunities as you require,” Kerry was quoted as saying. Kerry stated this on Tuesday, August 23, during his meeting with Buhari at the State House in Abuja. In a statement issued by the Presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, the President assured Kerry that the anti-corruption crusade…
President Muhammadu Buhari has vowed to put an end to the activities of the dreaded terror group, Boko Haram. While condemning their activities, the President expressed his administration’s resolve to wipe out Boko Haram. Speaking on Buhari’s behalf, the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo said “The government is determined to ensure that the safety of every single Nigerian is a priority; this is why I have repeatedly ordered our law enforcement agents to ensure that perpetrators of violent acts are arrested and made to face the law. “We will not allow anyone, under any guise, whether it is politics, culture or…
Former Head of State, retired Gen. Yakubu Gowon on Tuesday in Abuja lauded the efforts and determination of the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration to rid the country of corruption. Gowon made the commendation while fielding questions from State House correspondents after a closed door meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari. He identified corruption as one of the main challenges facing the country. According to him, president Buhari deserves the support of all Nigerians to enable him transform the country to an enviable position. “These are some of the issues we talked about, one appreciates his efforts and determination to rid the…
President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday pledged that the anti-corruption crusade in the country would be deepened and institutionalised to last beyond the life of the current administration. Mr Femi Adesina, the president’s Senior Adviser on Media and Publicity, said in a statement that Buhari made the pledge when he received U. S. Secretary of State, Mr John Kerry, at the State House, Abuja. The president stated that his administration was laying down administrative and financial instructions in the public service that must be obeyed. We will insist on the standards we’re establishing. “We are laying down administrative and financial instructions…
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has warned state governors against reduction in remunerations and hours of work of workers. In a statement issued by Mr Samuel Olowokere, Deputy Director Press in the ministry, Ngige said the warning was necessary to restore industrial harmony and forestall breakdown of law and order. He said the warning followed protracted industrial crisis involving the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC) and Nasarawa State Government. The minister said the step was pursuant to the powers invested on him by section 5(1) and (2) of the Trade Dispute Act, Laws…
Gov. Okezie Ikpeazu of Abia on Tuesday shunned the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) which protested the reported recent killing of workers in Nasarawa. The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the workers, comprising of affiliate unions of the congress, marched to the Government House, Umuahia from the state assembly to present their petition to the governor. The placard carrying protesters, led by the Chairman of the congress in the state, Mr Obi Igwe, however, marched back to their secretariat on Aba Road disappointed when the governor failed to personally receive them. The group staged the…
President Muhammadu Buhari has said that terrorism in Nigeria was prolonged by greedy officials who stole funds meant to aid the war against Boko Haram. Buhari also said that the selfishness of the officials in question led to massive loss of life in the country. The president, who was represented by Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, made the comments at the launch of the Reviewed National Counter Terrorism Strategy (NACTEST) by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) on Tuesday, August 23, 2016, ThisDay reports. “In the past few years, our nation has faced the threat of terrorism characterized by…
Senate Leader, Ali Ndume has assured Nigerians that President Muhammadu Buhari has good intentions for the country. Ndume also said that there’s no prepared solution for the current hardship being faced in the country. The senate leader made the comments while speaking to journalists on Tuesday, August 23, 2016, in Abuja. “I am one of the strong supporters of the president because I know that the person of President Muhammadu Buhari has very good intentions for this country,” Ndume said. “He didn’t come to power in other to make anything for himself but to fix Nigeria and move Nigeria forward,”…
Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose has said that the people of the state will remember him for good because he has done well. Fayose made the comments on Tuesday, August 23, 2016, during a festival in the state. “Whatever you sow you shall reap. If you do good for the people, you will get goodness. I have done well for Ekiti people,” the governor said according to Vanguard. “Look at the Amphi-theatre I built in Ewi’s palace, the dual carriageway from Basiri to Ajilosun, the ongoing flyover, the Awedele dualisation and many others. All these are the projects that are…